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MST3K 101 - The Crawling Eye
The Movie Synopsis At the remote Alpine village of Trollenberg, someone or something is killing off mountain climbers. The culprits turn out to be an army of one-eyed, tentacled beasts from outer space, who hide themselves in a radioactive cloud. Crawling along like snails, these horrific creatures attempt to neutralize their human foes by pumping a freezing fog at their pursuers. It matters not at all that some of the locals have been mentally enslaved by the monsters. It's up to American scientist Alan Brooks to save the day. http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll Information The Trollenberg Terror was adapted for the screen by Jimmy Sangster from the popular BBC TV serial by Peter Key. The Trollenberg Terror was retitled The Crawling Eye when it was released in the U.S. on a double bill with The Cosmic Terror.http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll Trivia: A year before he did this movie, Forrest Tucker starred in a movie called The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas where he confronted psychic Yetis. http://wm06.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:83031 The film itself was parodied in the first season of the Warner Bros. cartoon "Freakazoid!" as "The Cloud." The Crawling Eye is mentioned at the very end of the final MST3K episode, 1013 Diabolik, bringing the show full circle. Crow comments that the movie looks familiar. The Episode Host Segments Segment One (Invention Exchange): Joel explains the show and demonstrates the Electric Bagpipes. The Mad Scientists are introduced. Dr. Forrester injects Dr. Erhardt with an antiperspirant developed from dogs. It has some unexpected side effects. Segment Two: Joel explains to the bots why it's a big deal for a human to lose a head. Segment Three: Gypsy uncoils herself. Segment Four: The bots are more horrified by Forrest Tucker than the giant eye. Joel explains why giant eyes are scary. Ending Segment: Joel makes RAM chips, and will give the bots one only if they can tell him a good thing and a bad thing about the movie. Gypsy, of course, didn't see the movie, so Joel asks her what 2+2 equals. Gypsy answers Richard Basehart, but Joel gives her a RAM chip anyway because she answered. Trivia *Although this was the first show produced, it may have been the 2nd show to air on The Comedy Channel http://www.mst3ktemple.com/schedule1989.htm Riffnotes Invention Exchange * "Come in Joley Poley Pudding 'n' Pie": Dr. Forester's nickname for Joel this episode is a reference to The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding a children's book that was originally published in 1908. * Songs that Joel play on his electric bagpipe are Amazing Grace one of the most well known English hymns written by poet John Newton, first published in 1779 and Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love released as a single in May 1969. It was the first track on their second album Led Zeppelin II, released in October '69. * "Sail on silver bird!": Dr. Forester is quoting the Simon and Garfunkel song Bridge over Troubled Water which was the second song in their 1970 album of the same name. * "The serum rushes through the bloodstream like a Porsche Targa 911.." The Porsche 911 was first manufactured by the Porsche motor vehicle company in 1963. Variations of the model have been made throughout the years to present. * "Someday you'll be ready for the Nobel Prize" "Maybe for fiction" the Nobel Prize is an annual international award that gives recognition to various fields in scientific and cultural fields. It was first awarded in 1901 and named after Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. * "I had to clean a Flubber spill once there" Flubber is a floating rubber (hence the name "Flubber"). It's a fictional compound that was central to the plot of Disney's 1961 film The Absent-Minded Professor. * "... And worst of all it stars Forrest Tucker": Forrest Tucker (February 22, 1919-October 25, 1986) was a film, stage and television actor from the 1940s until his death in 1986. Movie Part 1 * "This must be a Paramount Picture" The mountain in the opening shot of the film vaguely resembles the logo to Paramount Pictures, who has been using the logo since 1914. * "It's a bad Cary Grant up there isn't it?" One of the two actors in the mountain climbing scene vaguely looks like actor Cary Grant (1904-1986) a well known actor who was active from 1932 to 1966. * "Oh he got that hat from Mike Nesmeth" The actor whom Tom identified as resembling Cary Grant is wearing a hat similar to that of musician Mike Nesmeth during his time with the rock band known as the Monkees * "Oh Forrest Tucker, he's from F-Troop!" F-Troop was a sitcom that aired on ABC from 1965 to 1967. It followed the misadventures of the soldiers at Fort Courage, Kansas during the days of the American Frontier. Forrest Tucker, the star of the experiment, played the role of Sergeant Morgan O'Rourke on the series. * "Duncan Sutherland. Duncan... What a yo-yo!" the Duncan Toys Company founded in 1929 is best known for their line of yo-yos. * "Lets see... Gemini, you'll be attracted to a crawling eye. Leo figures prominently" Tom is riffing off a horoscope for those of the Gemini astrological sign. Those born between May 20th and June 21st are Geminis. Leo is another sign for those born between July 22nd and August 22nd. * "I am mount Svengali... you will do as I say" Svengali is a fictional character featured in George du Maurier's 1895 novel Trilby. The character was a hypnotist. * "You're Sargent O'Rourke from F-Troop" One of the many references in this episode pertaining to Tucker's role in F-Troop. * "It's red dye number 7" There is actually no such thing as Red Dye #7. Tom is likely referencing Amaranth aka Red Dye #5, a dye that is used in food products and cosmetics. * "We're going to Geneva" "That's a big convention town isn't it?" the Geneva Conventions were treaties and protocols that established international law for the humanitarian treatment of war. Originally set out by the United Nations in 1949 following the end of World War II. * "It's Mister Hainey!" Joel thinks that Mayor Klein (played by Frederick Schiller) resembles the character Eustace Haney from the sitcom Green Acres (1965-1971). Mr. Haney was played by actor Pat Buttram (1915–1994). * "I bet she could eat corn through a picket fence" An insult dating back to the days of the American Frontier, usually referring to someone who has buck teeth. Crow says this about actress Jennifer Jayne (1931-2006) who plays the role of psychic Sarah Pilgrim in the film during a scene where she gazes at the mountain. It sounds pretty harsh an insult considering that Jennifer doesn't have buck teeth. * "Was he on F-Troop?" Another Forrest Tucker reference. * "Who's the tomato?" is a slang term referring to a beautiful young woman. It was commonly used in the 1920s. * "It was a trick knot" Trick knots are used in magic tricks, jokes and puzzles. They appear to be stable knots but can become undone easily. * "Look the all-weather channel" The Weather Channel was founded in 1982. It is an all weather network that provides regional and global weather forecasts as well as weather related programming. Host Segment #1 * "I figured it would have a Julie Andrews quality" Julie Andrews is a stage and screen actress who is best known for her singing roles such as the playing the title role in the 1964 Disney film "Mary Poppins" and 1965's "The Sound of Music". * "You mean like Edna St. Vincent Millay?" "What a body!" American lyrical poet, playwright and feminist Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950). Apparently Tom and Crow find her attractive. * "What about head games?" "And head trips" "And what about head cheese?" ** Head Games is a euphemism referring to playing deluding someone * Head Trips is a euphemism for being high * Head Cheese is a European cold cut made out of the head of cow, pig, or sheep. Movie Part 2 * "Hey it's F-Troop" *whistling* Yet another F-Troop reference. This time Joel also whistles the theme song. * "Meanwhile, back at Daniel Boone's house..." Daniel Boone (1734-1820) was a frontiersman during the days of the American Frontier. His travels and exploits has made him a folk hero in American culture. * "I'll call Weight Watchers" Weight Watchers, founded in 1963, is a company that specializes in weight loss programs, diet foods, and exercise products. * "Rosebud." Rosebud was the sled owned by Charles Foster Kane in the 1941 Orson Welles film Citizen Kane. In the film when Kane is on his death bed, his final words are "Rosebud" as he drops a snow globe to the ground, not unlike the one seen in this scene of the Crawling Eye. * "It was a bizarre dream and you were all there. Fannie Flagg, and Groucho and Carl Sagan and it was a Dick Cavett PBS special." ** Joel is referencing the final scene of the 1939 film version of the Wizard of Oz where the character Dorothy Gale (played by Judy Garlan woke up to find her family gathered all around her. ** Fannie Flagg, born Patricia Neal, is an American actress, comedian and author. She is best known for her long running appearances on the Dating Game from 1973 to 1982, and her 1988 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. ** Groucho Marx (1890-1977) was an American comedian and film actor and part of the Marx brothers. ** Carl Sagan (1934-1996) was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. ** Dick Cavett is an American talk-show host. He had his own show on the Public Broadcast Service aka PBS between 1977 to 1982. * "He prescribed those for Elvis" Elvis Presley (1935-1977) was a rock and roll musician. In the later years of his career until his death the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" was on many drugs, both prescribed medication and illegal recreational drugs. Host Segment #2 Movie Part 3 Host Segment #3 Movie Part 4 Host Segment #4 Video release *Released on DVD by Shout! Factory in March 2010 on Vol. XVII, along with The Beatniks, The Final Sacrifice and Blood Waters of Dr. Z. Crawling Eye Crawling Eye Category:Foreign Film